Hatch Warren Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and inclusive school with curious pupils who want to learn.

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. The school's motto, 'Happiness and wonder inspire success', is deeply embedded.

Pupils, staff and parents value the 'family feel' and the importance put on pupils' well-being.

Pupils feel safe. As one parent wrote, typical of many, 'The ethos of the school is that of inclusion, support and nurture, which cascades from the headteacher to all the staff.'

Pupils behave well.

They understand the behaviour policy. Pupils love receiving 'carrot' awards for working hard and trying their best. Staff deal with any pupil low- lev...el disruption with care and dignity.

They remind pupils about the school's behaviour expectations. Pupils understand what bullying is and say it is very rare. They say that sometimes there are squabbles, but that staff listen to them and take all incidents seriously.

Leaders take appropriate action.

Pupils take their role on the school council earnestly and make sure everyone has a voice in school improvement. Many pupils and parents are keen for the wide range of pre-pandemic clubs to start up again.

The school council is busy making sure this happens.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Learning to read is a priority at Hatch Warren Infants. Pupils enjoy reading and confidently talk about the books they like.

They especially like listening to stories in their new library, under the twinkling lights.

Leaders have recently introduced a new way to teach phonics. Staff have been well trained and are accurate in their teaching.

Pupils are benefiting from this consistent approach. Pupils quickly learn how to use the sounds they know to read words. Regular phonics interventions help pupils to catch up quickly when they fall behind.

As the phonics scheme is new, reading books, including in the early years, are not always matched to the sounds pupils learn in their new phonics lessons. Sometimes, pupils are being asked to read words with sounds they do not know. This hampers their reading.

Leaders are aware and have begun to solve this issue. In fact, a delivery of decodable books, that tie precisely to the new phonics programme, arrived during the inspection.

Leaders have identified the essential knowledge that pupils must learn and remember in all subjects.

This links closely to the assessments teachers carry out. Teachers use assessment well to spot pupils who need extra support to understand and keep up.

Leaders have organised the curriculum so that pupils' learning builds on what they already know from the early years to Year 2.

For example, in physical education (PE), pupils in the Reception Year learn how to run, thinking about their body position. Year 2 pupils learn different sprinting techniques.

Pupils revisit learning regularly.

Teachers use the beginning of lessons to reinforce previously learned concepts. Pupils are able to recall in some subjects what they have learned, but this is not the case in all subjects. Staff's subject knowledge in some subjects is stronger than it is in others.

Leaders' monitoring of how well pupils are learning the curriculum is at an early stage of development in the foundation subjects.

Despite a change in leadership, leaders have made sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn well. They have bought in additional expertise.

Staff are knowledgeable regarding pupils' specific needs, including pupils' pastoral needs. They have high expectations of what pupils with SEND can achieve. Pupils with SEND access the full curriculum, alongside their peers.

Their needs are quickly identified and carefully planned for. Leaders work closely with parents and carers to make sure they know everything they need to know about a pupil. They get provision right.

Leaders make sure that pupils learn about and respect differences between people.For example, staff teach pupils to understand about different disabilities. Pupils and staff value the inclusive environment of the school.

Pupils understand how to keep themselves heathy, including the importance of a varied diet, sleep and 'staying healthy in your head'.

COVID-19 has limited governors' visits to the school. Nevertheless, the strong processes that governors have in place have supported them to understand the quality of the curriculum in English and mathematics during this time.

However, they do not understand well enough how pupils are learning in all subjects.

Staff say that leaders are considerate of their workload and morale is high. The acting headteacher has sought to streamline some school processes.

This has been greatly appreciated by staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders, including governors, regularly check that safeguarding records are up to date and that procedures are working effectively.

Staff are well trained. They report any concerns quickly. Leaders act on these concerns, involving local agencies when needed.

The safeguarding of pupils is a priority. However, leaders do not have a sharp enough oversight on the training that staff have completed. They have begun to tighten up this aspect of their work.

The curriculum helps pupils understand risk in a range of situations, including how to stay safe online. For example, pupils know not to share their personal details.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The books pupils read are not always matched closely to their reading skills.

This slows down their progress in learning to read fluently. Leaders need to ensure that pupils have plenty of opportunities to read books that are precisely matched to their phonics knowledge to help them practise the sounds they have learned. ? Leaders' checks on how well pupils' knowledge and understanding of the curriculum over time are at an early stage of development for some foundation subjects.

This means that not all subject leaders have an accurate view of how well pupils are learning the intended curriculum in their subject. They do not know what support teachers need to teach all subjects as well as the best. Leaders should develop effective systems so that they understand how well pupils are learning the curriculum in all subjects over time and what further support teachers need.

• During the COVID-19 pandemic, governors have focused their questioning about the effectiveness of the curriculum on the core subjects. This means governors do not yet have a full understanding of the quality of education in the school. Governors need to strengthen their understanding of how well pupils learn in all subjects so that they can provide the most effective support and challenge.

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